Life-boat.



"0.702,399. Patented'lune I7, |902.

y L. nowu. y

LIFE BOAT.

(Application led June 7, 1801.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEMUEL BROWN, OF SAUGATUOK, MICHIGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming para of Letters `Patent Ive. 702,399, Vdared June 17,1902.

Application filed June 7,190l.,

To CLZZ 1071/0711/ it may concern:V 1

Be it knownthat I, LEMEL BROWN, a citi# zen of the United States,residing at Saugatuck, in the county of Allegan andA State of- Michigan, have invented certain newand use-1, ful Improvements `in Life Boatsgand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable'others skilled in'the at to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to boat construction which while primarily designed as a life-boat will be found to be very desirable and efcient for other uses.

My object is to provide a boat of the character specified which will prove practically non-capsizable. .i

A further object offmyinventionHisto insure thatv the interiorof the boat `willibeV properly ventilatedwithout liability ofthe iniiow of water.

Other objects and advantages will be made fully apparent from the followingspecication, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which-- Figure l is a perspective view of myinvention complete, showing one sideof the boat partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 illustrates a longitudinal section of a portion of myim-` proved boat. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate in perspective and vertical section, respectively, means for preventing the inflow of Water,` though permitting anoar to be employed-for propellingftheboat. yFigg` is a longitudinal section of a portion of the boat, taken onja line with one of the `vision-points.

In order to conveniently refer to the several parts of myinvention and accessoriesde-` signed to coperate therewith, numerals will be employed, the `same numeral referring to the same part throughout the several views.

In materializing my invention I provide a body portion, as indicated by the numeral 1, asis common, with the front extension 2 andV the dead-Wood 3. The body portion also is preferably inclosed at each end, as indicated by the numerals 4 and 5, said ends being preferably cut od from the inte-p rior of the boat and utilized as receptacles for fresh Water or for ballast, as preferred. The boat is also provided with the false botsmal no. 63,653. in@ man.)

to1n6,secured iii-position in any preferred -way, while at 4each end of the interior compartment I erect thebrackets 7, designed to afford a support for the movable Hoor-section 8,"said movable-floor being preferably formed as an auxiliary boat, the fioor being watertight. A. suitable number of cross-bars or seats9 are also provided in order to conveniently seat any persons occupying the interior, a turnbuckle being provided in rod 81 to adjust the height of licor-section S. By thus pivotally mounting the movable floorsection 8 I am enabled to compensate for the rocking movementof the boat, it being obvious that the movable ioor-section proper will remain substantially in a horizontal position with respectto thetransverse plane of the body of the boat. The movable rudder 10 is mounted in position as is` common and provided at its upper end with theslotted bar 11, ldesigned to receive the end 12`of the crank 13, Asaid crank being extended through the parti- ,tionvlllto the interior of the boat, the extreme end of the crankshaft being provided with the controlling-wheell whereby the rudder may be placed underthecomplete control of the operator.` Suitable vision-points 16 are also provided, a detail construction of which is illustrated in Fig. 6,it being understood that the opening in the fvi'sion-point 16 is to be closed by a disk 17, of glass or other transparent substance. I prefer to provide upon `the sides ofthe boat-body a series of aperltures 18,'. which may be filled with heavy glass, or a disk 19` may be properly secured therein. The disk V19,v is provided with a central aperture designedto be closed by a suitable covering of some `iicxiblef;material, as rubber, Vas indicated by the n'umeral 20, said cover of rubber being held in `position in any preferred way. The covering of rubber is also provided With a central aperture adapted to receive the handle -21 `of. the oar, the flexibility of the rubber permitting-the oar to be freely used, yet, atwthe Sametime excluding the water.

In order to insure that the interior of the boat will be provided with proper ventilation and at the same time exclude the water, I provide the form of valve indicated in Fig. 3 and consisting of a suitable opening formed in the upper portion of the boat, said opem IOO ing being preferably provided with a collar 22 of some flexible substance, as rubber, adapted to form a seat for the valve or ball 23, which latter is pivotally connected to the controlling member 24, the lower end of which is provided with the weight 25. The stem 24 is wrapped loosely around the contiguous part of the bracket 26, while the upper end thereof is pivotally connected in any preferred way to the valve 23, and it is obvious that when the boat shall rock laterally that the weight will so act upon the valve as to draw the same downward tightlyinto engagement with its seat when the boat is in a tipped condition. kIt is also obvious that since the shaft 24 is of proper length to hold the valve above its seat when said shaft is in a vertical position it will be impossible for air to enter through the seat excepting when the boat is in an upright condition. When the boat is tipped laterally, however, the weight will so act upon the valve 23 that it will be drawn downward tightly in engagement with its seat, and thereby insure an exclusion of the water, a very important and desirable desideratum. A suitable guiding-bracket 27 is also provided, so as to properly circumscribe the movement of the lower or free end of the shaft 24.

In order to render the interior of the boat conveniently accessible, I provide in the upper portion of the middle section thereof or that portion between the partitions 14 any preferred or suitable form of doors 2S, as more clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the meeting edges of the doors being suitably provided with a` proper form of locking members, whereby they may be tightly secured together as desired. In order to insure that the water will be excluded from the meeting edges of the door, they may be properly reinforced with soft yielding substance, as rubber. The ends of the doors 28 are each provided with the reinforcing water-excluding members 29, pre'ferably .formed of suitable sheet metal so bent upon itself as to inclose a section of rubber 30. Each end of the boat near the compartment 14 is provided with the arch-section 31, having the upwardly-extending flange 32, designed to engage the packing 30 of rubber in such a way as to insure the exclusion of the water. The water is excluded from between the door 28 and the ange 32 by the soft yielding substance on the door above referred to. A metallic flange 33 :is also secured upon the outer side of the boat in any preferred way and designed to engage the reinforcing member 29, said iiange having upon its lower edge suitable packing of rubber, as indicated by the numeral 34.

It will be understood that my improved boat may be made any preferred size and of any desired material, and While I have described the preferred construction and combination of parts I wish to include all substitutes and equivalents that may be considered to fall fairly within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described life-boat comprising a central compartment and end sections, a false bottom, a pivotally-mounted Hoor-section in the form of an auxiliary boat suspended from above and above the false bottom, and means for adjusting the height of said floor-section and allowing it to rock to compensate for the rocking movement of the boat, all substantially as shown and described.

2. In boats of the character specified, a water-tight opening comprising the disk 19 suitably secured inthe wall of the boat and having a central opening and a yielding closure for said opening formed of rubber or the like said closure adapted to serve as a water-tight closure and affording the sole support for an oar having an opening adapted to tightly receive the handle of an oar whereby the oar may be operated without admitting water to the boat all substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth. u

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEMUEL BROWN.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SCHUMACHER, FRANK PRIEST. 

